Process for separating hydrocarbons from oil-bearing earth



Aug. '3 1926. 1,594,796

G. J. RQcKwELL PRooEss Fon SEPARATING HYnRocARBoNs FROM oIL BEARINGEARTH Filed April 10, 192:5

IN V EN TOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l g George J. Rockwell W D E BY M a ATTORNEYSAug. 3 1926. ,1,594,6'

G. J. ROcKwr-:LL

Pnocss FOR SEPARATING HYDRocARBoNs FROM OIL BEARING EARTH Filed April10, 1923 md n. mw m Vk o ,me 4 n Ab A am Q mf Q B G X E m Paaaaaiiug. 3,1926.

GEORGE JEWETT ROCKWELL, F HUNTINGTON PARK,

v ONE-HALF T0 CQLIN TIMMONS, 0F LOB ANGELES,

CALIFORNIA, .assren'oa or camroanu.

i PBOACEBS FOR BEPAMTING HYDROCABBONS FROM OIL-BFABING EARTH.

' nppiicatiun nien Aprii 1o, 192e. serial No. 631,171.

This invention relates to a process for separating hydrocarbons from oilbearin earth and has for its object the provision o a process forre-claiming or separating all the hydrocarbons from oil-bearing earth bymeans of water, steam and pegitation in a closed container and correla dopen containers. i y

Another object of the invention is the provision of a process forrecovering the more volatile oils from oil bearing earth and thenremoving the residue of the hydrocarbons fromthe sand. y

. Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course ofthe following description.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which, l

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for recovering al thehydrocarbons of oilbearing earth. l

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3--3 ofFigure 2. y Oil-sand is sand saturated with hydrocarbons whichapproximate 10 percent of naphtha and 60 percent of illuminating oils.Laboratory experiments show that some oilsands contain by wei ht 23.5prcent of h drocarbons when ta en fres y. from t e ground and whenexposed to the air in an open vessel for a year lose, by naturalevaporation 70 percent of the greater and most valuable part of theirhydrocarbon content,

. and where it has been progosed to separate hydrocarbons from .the o1sands in open vessels the volatile oils are lost by -evappration. By myprocess the oil sands are mixed with water and steam in a closedrevolving `container to distill off and recover by condensation suchoils associated with the hy- Adrocarbons inthe oil-sands which arevola-` tile at a temperature of 212 degrees or less or at a higherltemperature when steam under pressure is employed.

The distillation of hydrocarbons in the oil sand which are volatilebetween certain v ranges' of temperature is carried out 4in a closedcontainer or still 1 of the horizontal rotary type and which is mountedupon spaced pairs of grooved wheels 2 supported in bearing blocks 3 uponan elevated table 4.

The cylindrical container is provided with a ,steam coils 12 which `thetops of the open man-hole 5 which provides means for filling ordischarging said container when necessailyl annular spur ring gear 6 isconnected to the outer wall of the containerf 1 and meshes with agear 7driven by a shaft 8. Annular tracks 9 are formed at kthe ends of thecontainer 1 and enga-ge the grooved wheels 2 for supportin the containerand aiding in its rotation w is driven.

' A steam pipe 10 connected with a source of steam and provided with avalve'll enters the container 1 through a packing mounted centrally inthe rear end of said container.

As shown more particularly in lFigure 3, the steam pipe 10 connects witha series of are employed to heat the contents of the closed container 1indirectlyand the lsteam pipe 10 has also such connections that free enthe ring gear 6 steam can be intro-Q duced directly into the interior ofcontainer 1 by a pipe 59 controlled by a valve 60. The pipe 59 passesthrough a bearing sleeve 61 extending into said container at this point.The steam pipe 10 is adapted to be mounted in brackets (not shown) forsupporting the pipe where it enters the container 1. An outlet pipe 13passing through packing centrally of the forward end of the container 1and havin disposed a jacent t e upper end of the vertical diameter ofthe container is for the purpose of carrying oi thevolatile-hydrocarbons -which have been distilled from the mixture in thecontainer, to a condenser (not shown) which is connected with the Avalve 15 in the pipe 13 controls t e ow of` volatile hydrocarbon fromthe container. A bracket (not shown) as is usual is adapted to maintainthe pipe 13 inposition.

A air of open containers 16 and 17 are locat on a latform 18 disposedsuiciently below vthe p atform 4 that the residue from thev container. 1may be drained through thev trap door 5 and through the Y`trough 19 intol containers 16 and 17. A valve 20 is disposed at-the connection beftween vthe legs 21 and 22 of the/trough so that both containers 16 and17 may be fed at the same time from container 1 or the valve may belocated in the position shown in Figure 1 fordischarging the contents ofcontainer 1 into container its uppr end, as shown at 14,-

ipe 13.`

16 alone. A rel introduced -versal of the position of the valve willcause the flow of the residue from the closed container to container 17.f .The -open containers are provided with having depending members 24somewhat construction to a plow-share. Ihe

containers 35 and 36.

These containers are likewise provided with stirrers 37 which are drivenvat a slower speed than the stirrers 23 of the first mentioned opencontainers. The stirrers in open containers 35 and 36 are co with shafts38 which are driven by gears 39 in mesh with ars 40. A worm gear 41 on ahorizontal aft 42 upon which the gears 40 are mounted meshes with a wormgear 43 on the shaft 8. A

are also provided steam connections for introducing 56a to the opencontainers 16, 17,

hese containers is controlled respectively by the valves 57 and 58..

he containers 35 and 36 are mounted on platforms 45 .which aresuiiiciently below the e bottom of the containers 35 and 36 are adaptedto provide means' for'discharging the contents ofthese containers.

Conduits 47 are connected with the connpected to locate the trap door 5A is disc v tainers 35 and 36 whereby the oil which has been removedfrom the sands may be drained oil' the water and collected in thecontainer 48. The container 48v is provided with a stirrer 49 driven'byashaft 50 which is provided with a gear 51 in mesh with a gear 52 onshaft 8.

The process for removing the various hy' drocarbons from oilbearingearth such as oil sands is as 'followsz Oil sands and water are placedin the container 1 through the man-hole -5 and steam is admitted throughthe pipe 10 and valve 11 to the coils 12, 0r free steam ma be directlyintroduced through pipe 59. The shaft- 8 is rotated for rotating thecontainer 1, the rotation being sufficient to cause the water and uwhere the vo atile hydrocarbons are collected.

When it has been determined thatalllthe volatile hydrocarbons havebeendistilled olf which would be lost in e 16 and the open containers17, the container lis so positionedas above the Y-trough 19. If it bedesired to till both of the con'- tainers 16 and 17 the valve 20 islocated in` an intermediate position whence the residue of the closedcontainer is discharged into the open tanks. The agitating in ember 23process is plete in the containers 35 and 36 .the oil floating upon thewater in the open container harged into the tank 48 where it is againgently agitated to cause the oil to iioat upon whatever water may becarried into the container 48. Water from the conrainer 48 may bereadily removedin a manner which is well-known. The water and sand fromcontainers 35 and 36 are discharged through the trap doors-46. l It willbe noted that my process is continuous since the container 1 may beconstantly replenished from time Ato time in order to supply asufficient quantity of material to the respective containers 16, 17, 35and 36.

What I claim is:

1. A processv for separating hydrocarbons from oil bearing earth, whichcomprises' agitating such material in the presence of Water and at the.same time heating it by steam above atmospheric pressure, whereby somelighterv hydrocarbons are distilled oi and recovered and the residualoil being made less viscid and more mobile by being heated is morereadily separated from the sand by attrition,- and then further, forcompleting the separationof the oil from the sand, violently agitatingand heating at at mbspheric pressure. the residue from which some of thelighter hydrocarbons have been recovered and then gently agitatingI andheating the material at atmospheric pressure to permit stratification ofthe oil, water and clean sand, the heat being sustained to keep theheavy oil thin so it Willrise and stratify above' the Water and thegentle stirring bringing together the drops ofl water contained in theoil so that they unite together into larger globules and settle into thebody of water' beneath the oil,A the gentle stirring also freeing thesand from globules of oil which would otherwise be entrapped and carrieddown with the sand While it was settling to the bottom of the container.

2. A process for Separating hydrocarbons from oil bearing earth whichconsists of partially distilling the oil bearing earth for removal ofsome of the lighter oils, agitating the materials in the presence ofWater 'and steam heat by which oil would be freed from the grains ofsand by attrition and gently agitating and heating by steam to permitstratification of the oil, Water and sand according to their specificvgravities.

GEORGE JEWETT ROCKWELL.

